Here’s what I have to say about your comments:
“BMW’s downfall will be attributable to fanboy crap like what’s been said on this blog” – Wakeup! How can BMW’s downfall be related in this way – Stop talking crap!

Whether BMW is better than Audi is by no means an opinion – maybe for those with a lack of knowledge, it is a matter of opinion. It is also not difficult for you to get some solid stats for engines, performance, quality, reliability, etc. There are extensive research and awards out there to strongly confirm that BMW is a better car and company in general WORLDWIDE.

I agree that in SOME areas Audi surpasses BMW – such as keeping its cost of producing a car low (simply because it is extensively using VW parts), marketing a borderline premium vehicle in a pure premium market, having a parent company’s cash to back its plans (BMW is purely independent), and advertising extemsively in spreading ideas about their cars being sporty and nimble when in actual fact they are anything BUT. Furthermore, how do you justify your statement about BMW surpassing Audi in some areas “by not much”??

The matter is not that BMW has not got an answer for the ugly R8, it’s that it is not financially feasible to do so. Even for the VW Group, the R8 is currently not a profitable product when taking into account all except variable costs. However, the reason why VW has decided to make the R8 and continue production was because they are hoping that VW Audi’s brand image can improve to the levels of BMW (although many think it’s just wishful thinking). BMW on the otherhand is well known for its sporty vehicles with perfect handling. So what’s the point of making a loss on some project like this? Furthermore, BMW’s M vehicles are all exclusive products – you wouldn’t see the engne of the M3 being shoved in the back of a mid-engine car in a different car, unlike Audi just shoving th old RS4 engine in th R8. After the Efficient Dynamics Concept, do you really think that BMW does not have an answer for that outdated R8??? Everyone I asked said they’d take BMW’s Vision Efficient Dynamics over the R8 anyday becasue it looks just so much better AND bear in mind that it has the same performance as teh R8 using a 1.5 Diesel engine. So R8 is nt that successful afterall, especially with that pathetic steering feel – please, I’m not driving a truck!

“I mean why drive a BMW “station wagon” which is nothing more than imitation of the class leading Audi Avants.” – class leading in what way? I think many would agree to: Why drive a VW badged with 4 rings when you can drive a top premium, class leading vehicle from the no.1 premium car company in the World, which happens to be an independent company as well? I mean, do you appreciate seeing all these VW and Seat badges all over your engine parts when you open your bonnet??? or do you enjoy your Audi A3 and A4 being recalled for turbo problems together with all VW Polos and Golfs?

Don’t go down the M3 RS4 route – M3 around the track is miles ahead of RS$, M3’s engine is award winning for numerous times, not RS4. The only advantage is straight line speed due to the fact that Audi is cheating with 4 wheel drive, yet BMW’s traditional sports car layout is rear wheel drive only. Furthermore, so what if you have faster straightline acceleration but the car handles like a truck?

I wonder who is catchingup who – the last time I checked, Audi was copying all that BMW is doing, enterig into every segment that BMW made like the X3, etc. They are the true copy cats like th Chinese manifacturers while BMWs are the leaders in teh industry – let’s see when Audi will bring out their copycat version of the 5GT

REALLY? And where do you get those statistics? Delusional fanboy crap like that is what will continue to be the downfall of BMW. Whether BMW is better than Audi or vice versa is a matter of opininon and nothing more. In many areas, Audi surpasses BMW as in other areas BMW surpasses Audi, but by not much. BMW has not answer for an R8 and so far Audi is loaded with cash to continue its agressive assault on the market. One who used to drive an Audi will not necessarily go for a BMW or MB and many BMW drivers have gone for Audis. I mean why drive a BMW “station wagon” which is nothing more than imitation of the class leading Audi Avants. Any RS model easily handle any M model. I mean the new M3 could barely beat the old RS4 riding on a 7 year old chasis and in certain comparos it lost. Audi has moved the game forward, BMW is not catching up. So keep on being delusional

“BMW is just messing itself up. What’s the point of bring out a concept car if you are going to ignore what the majority of people’s opnion are and then bring the exact design straight into production (with even cheaper looking balck plastics)?? Potential buyers in the market ( which is only a few percent of the population) will care what others think about their cars even if they themselves think it is OK.”

I don’t know if tht has got to do with the Strategy No. ONE that they are employing to cut costs amd boost profits taht they are neglecting the marketing of the core vlues of teh BMW Brand. Yes, fuel efficiency is important, but if that’s all that matters, I would have gone for the smallest engine from Toyota or Kia. People do not buy BMWs just because it is fuel efficient, it should be an added benefit. Premium cars should make people feel that they have something better than th rest with superior quality in all aspects that fit into the premium profile. But when BMW start to make cars that look uglier than the rest and have people frowning when looking at their products, this is a negative connotation. I have not heard of anyone describing Audi design as ugly…. only at the most – boring, which is a neutral mentality.

The designs of current BMWs (e.g. X1) is no longer what they intended it to be when they started their aim to lead the market with futuristic designs. It is just plain mess of lines that some minority designers think is cool, yet the rest of teh world rejects. Can BMW afford to delibertaely make th car look uglier and cheaper than premium with huge chunks of black plastics? Can you afford to be different in an inferior manner? The arguement about X1 will sell no matter what because it is a BMW is flawed. Yes it will sell, but is it the best? What would happen when Audi’s Q3 comes out, which will definately be better looking than this X1? I am confident of that, it may be boring but at least it is not ugly and at least it will look premium and not something from Toyota that has got an Audi badge on it.

BMW is just messing itself up. What’s the point of bring out a concept car if you are going to ignore what the majority of people’s opnion are and then bring the exact design straight into production (with even cheaper looking balck plastics)?? Potential buyers in the market ( which is only a few percent of the population) will care what others think about their cars even if they themselves think it is OK. The bottom line is that BMW’s X1 does not look like a premium car, this will be confirmed when the production version come out. Furthermore, it looks uglier than the non-premium cars. The only thing that would be lifting this is the BMW badge…. and this series of ugly cars are pulling the BMW brand down slowly but surely and letting others that are more conventional (like Audi) to succeed without much alteration. I wil not buy the X1 just because it is a BMW and I am a BMW fan… it looks inferior and does not fit the premium segment.

For being higher-end cars, they’re extremely practical vehicles. Many of those individuals who have purchased an M3 would have likely gone after a Lotus Exige (or other) if they weren’t looking for some level of practicality.

From personal experience, ~66% of every X3/X5 we see in the shop is LOADED with miscellaneous crap. Toys, sporting equipment, golf clubs, SCUBA gear, etc. Kind of a shame that people don’t utilize the practical capabilities of their BMWs…

Does brand/reputation matter? Absolutely. Is it 90% of the reason people purchase certain vehicles? I wouldn’t go that far by any stretch of the imagination.

This is a large alarm bell warning. Audi is making cars and marketing their products that are perceived to be sporty, trendy and classy. BMW needs to do more marketing of their products other than areas of efficient dynamics. Carry on making ugly cars that are seen to be uglier than rivals with non-premium looks like huge chunks of black plastics, etc., like the X1, X3 and their concentration of dll and boring pig nose design.